1953 temporary Usonian

ross · Post by **ross** » Wed Jun 08, 2011 10:52 am

I purchased an October 1953 Architectural Record, and which contains a brief article on the two temporary buildings erected on the site of the still unbuilt Guggenheim. One of course was the exhibition Usonian â€“ and with plans included.

I will ask SDR if he would be so kind as to post the images for me.

JimM · Post by **JimM** » Wed Jun 08, 2011 1:05 pm

No intention of stealing SDR's thunder....

I'm not aware of another exhibition model, but these are from the 1955 House Beautiful. Note a nod to the times with a TV made "Wright" at home in a Usonian, and a "Kitchen" (Workspace) with actual windows!

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Deke · Post by **Deke** » Wed Jun 08, 2011 1:10 pm

This is one of my fav Wright designs and if I had the bucks, I'd built a home just like it. John Geiger, who worked on the exhibition, told me the clerestory windows were originally half the height or less, but Wright raised them up. Perhaps he felt larger windows were needed to let in more light in the caverns of NYC. The resulting higher roof gives the living room a more spacious feeling than most usonians.

Deke

SDR · Post by **SDR** » Wed Jun 08, 2011 1:18 pm

Here are Ross's images, from October 1953 Architectural Record:

ross · Post by **ross** » Wed Jun 08, 2011 1:23 pm

Thanks again SDR!

You will note from the plans SDR posted for me, and the plans posted by JimM (thanks JimM!), that the houses are not quite identical, although they must be the same house? The 1953 version is a bit smaller, and the utility room is gone, among other changes.

I agree with Deke; I, too, have always loved this house.

Hereâ€™s the previous thread on the 1940 unbuilt version:

http://savewright.org/wright_chat/viewt ... tion+house

Wrightgeek · Post by **Wrightgeek** » Wed Jun 08, 2011 1:26 pm

Deke-

The Feiman Residence in Canton, OH is based on the 1953 Exhibition House, and is spetacular. IMHO, it could use a new owner/resident,as the current owners are absentee owners. And try as they might to care for the house from North Carolina, the property is suffering from deferred maintainence.

ross · Post by **ross** » Wed Jun 08, 2011 1:33 pm

Previous thread on Ellis Feiman House:

http://www.savewright.org/wright_chat/v ... 232379e3e2

More:

http://www.anthonymccune.net/2010/11/el ... frank.html

http://www.starkcountyohio.net/2010/12/ ... eason.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Ellis ... y_2011.jpg

Roderick Grant · Post by **Roderick Grant** » Wed Jun 08, 2011 1:57 pm

A nice detail in the Exhibition House kitchen that tends to go unnoticed is the rack for hanging the pots and pans. As shown, the actual hanging apparatus is a circle held within a loop that extends on the right from the edge of the window, around the hanger and back to the muntin between the two windows on the left. This circular element mirrors the circular prep table in the center of the room and a circular skylight above (seen in reflection on the windows). Also especially handsome is the living room ceiling, composed of square sheets of veneered plywood, the grain direction creating a checkerboard pattern, with small lights at every other intersection. This is probably his best Usonian of the brick & wood, Jacobs I type.

Jeff Myers · Post by **Jeff Myers** » Wed Jun 08, 2011 2:07 pm

Oh I do notice a Guggenheim like shape in the pot rack now

SDR · Post by **SDR** » Wed Jun 08, 2011 2:10 pm

I'm looking for a plan of the 1940 MoMA design, to compare with the 1953 plan. I understand that the article Jim M posted above covers the 1953 house -- though there are differences between that plan and the one Ross provides, both are of the 1953 house, as I understand it.

SDR

Jeff Myers · Post by **Jeff Myers** » Wed Jun 08, 2011 2:14 pm

SDR I do have a plan but I have no way of scanning it
However the Model I made is to the plan. It does have the same plan as Jacobs

Healeyjet · Post by **Healeyjet** » Wed Jun 08, 2011 2:18 pm

Roderick, that very pot rack has been on eBay for sale for quite some time. Condition is very rusty but would serve as an excellent pattern IMHO.

Ward

Wrightgeek · Post by **Wrightgeek** » Wed Jun 08, 2011 2:21 pm

RGrant-

The checkerboard plywood ceiling treatment was also used to great effect in the living room of the Robert Sunday Residence in Marshalltown, IA.

DavidC · Post by **DavidC** » Wed Jun 08, 2011 2:35 pm

JimM wrote: .... these are from the 1955 House Beautiful.

Do you know what month of 1955 that House Beautiful is? The November issue?

Also, what publication does that B&W kitchen photo come from?

Thanks to all for posting all of this info. My interest in the Usonian Exhibition House has increased greatly since visiting Feiman recently. And I've just earlier today contacted Pedro Guerrero's representative to find out more about the photos he took of the house.

David

ross · Post by **ross** » Wed Jun 08, 2011 2:45 pm

The two almost-the-same-but-not-quite plans are troubling.

The smaller plan attached to the 1953 article has a place for a radio in the living room. In the 1955 article this same space is occupied by a blond television.

So, is the 1953 article plan actually of the 1940s unbuilt Usonian?

Or did the unbuilt/built Usonians have the same plan? And perhaps the plan was updated for the 1955 article?

Wright Chat

1953 temporary Usonian

1953 temporary Usonian

Pot Rack